Winter Wonderland weekend, art events and more happening on Cape Cod this week

Walk through a winter wonderland in Hyannis this weekend during Cape Cod's Winter Wonderland Weekend, hosted by Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District, Love Live Local and the Cape Cod Maritime Museum.

Hyannis Main Street's monthly "First Fridays" kicks off the weekend from 5 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 1 with a festive boat lighting and holiday sing-along at the harbor. The lighting will commence at 5:30 p.m. but s'mores and games from Shipyard Boulders will begin at 5 p.m.

After the boat lighting, "Sip & Shop" begins. Stores will be open late and shoppers 21 and older can purchase a "Sip & Shop" voucher at www.hyannismainstreet.com/ for $10 and pick up a festive beverage from participating stores. Drinks are limited to one per store. "Elf" will also be screening at the corner of High School Road and Main Street accompanied by a fire pit to make s'mores.

On Saturday, Dec. 2, the 10th annual Love Live Local Fest: Holiday Edition begins the day's festivities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. During the festival, 120 local artists and businesses will take over the Village Green, displaying and selling their work to patrons.

"We only have Cape Cod-based artisans, artists and makers," Amanda Converse, co-founder of Love Live Local said. "They can expect a variety of products from food ... as well as jewelry, kids' items and apparel. There's going to be quite a large variety and while you're shopping, you can eat (at) one of our three food trucks."

During the gifting season, Converse highlighted the importance of shopping locally noting that local businesses are more likely to give back to their communities as opposed to their corporate counterparts.

"At the end of the day, local businesses of all kinds reinvest up to four times the amount of money into our local community as their corporate competitors," she said. "When you think about how much additional wealth that can generate for our community ... it's not just a single transaction with a local business; that single transaction has ripple effects that reach the rest of the community."

Outside of the festival, Main Street Stroll begins at 11 a.m., ends at 3 p.m. and is full of holiday fun. A petting zoo, pony rides, cookie competition and a search for Santa's Reindeer during "Reindeer Roundup" are just a few of the many events happening along Main Street. Plus Santa himself will be posing for pictures with kids from 12 to 2:30 p.m.

Finally, a holiday boat parade ends the weekend fun at 4 p.m. at Hyannis Harbor. Hot Chocolate and chowder will be available for spectators to enjoy while they watch boats of all shapes and sizes cruise through the harbor.

Free parking for all events will be available at Barnstable Town Hall, South and North streets and Ocean Street public parking lots.

On Cape Cod for the holidays? Check out things to do in our month-long planner online at capecodtimes.com or printed in this issue of CapeWeek.

Other things happening on Cape Cod this week

Addison Art Gallery benefit for the Homeless Prevention Council

On Dec. 2, local artists, authors and community members will gather from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Addison Art Gallery for a benefit event for the Homeless Prevention Council.

Cape and Islands authors — Jeannette de Beauvoir, Yvonne deSousa, Judy Lannon, Brad Lussier, Romy Maimon, Mary McDermott, Jeff Norgeot, Lee Roscoe and Brett Warren — will interact with guests and sign copies of their works.

Ranging in genre from mystery and memoir to art and architecture, 30 titles will be available at the event.

Maimon's signings will also benefit the Cape Cod Emergency Pet Care Program.

The Addison Art Gallery is located at 43 South Orleans Road In Orleans.

Eastham's Carols on the Windmill Green

Eastham's Visitors Service Board will host its annual Carols on the Windmill Green from 4 to 5 p.m. on Dec. 2

Tom Fairs will direct the Nauset High School Honors Chorus through a selection of holiday tunes, accompanied by the Eddy Elementary School Choir, directed by Stacey Faris lending their voices to the carol sing-along.

The Eastham windmill will be open for tours during the event and the Visitors Board will serve hot chocolate and cookies throughout the evening.

The Windmill Green is located at 2505 State Highway in Eastham.

Sandwich Soul

This year's Sandwich Soul fundraiser holiday concert, presented by the Sandwich Town Hall Preservation Trust, will take place at 4 p.m. on Dec. 3 at Sandwich Town Hall.

The repertoire for the eighth holiday show includes a mix of classic and contemporary songs, sung by 38 choral members and a few featured soloists. Tickets for the show are $15 and all proceeds go to the students of Sandwich Soul to help fund an upcoming trip to Florida for an international choral competition and Disney's Broadway Magic workshops.

Tickets for the show can be bought online at www.eventbrite.com/e/sandwich-souls-annual-holiday-special-tickets-763538433007/.

Hal McIntosh retrospective at Truro Library

The Truro Public Library will display a selection of late Pond Road Artist Hal McIntosh's paintings throughout the month of December.

"Hal McIntosh's influence on our community is profound," wrote Justine Alten, Outreach Coordinator for the Truro Public Library in a press release for the event. "His bold abstractions, tranquil waterscapes, and stirring portraiture, all masterfully painted with a touch of McIntosh's signature Orientalism, have been widely exhibited and are part of numerous regional collections, both private and public."

The retrospective is curated by Stephen M. Briscoe of Larkin Gallery, Inc. including loaned work from the estate of Hal McIntosh. The Truro Public Library is located at 7 Standish Way in North Truro.

Yvonne deSousa discusses 'Shelter of the Monument: A Provincetown Love Story' at Snow Library

Author Yvonne deSousa will be giving a talk about her new book "Shelter of the Monument: A Provincetown Love Story" at 5 p.m. on Dec. 5 at the Snow Library.

"Shelter of the Monument: A Provincetown Love Story" is a coming-of-age memoir about first loves, grief, addiction, and self-discovery set in deSousa's hometown: Provincetown.

Following the talk, a book signing and sale will take place. Admission is free.

The Snow Library is located at 67 Main St. in Orleans.

Project Forward Holiday Market

Cape Cod Community College's Project Forward Program will host its annual Pop-up Holiday Market from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 7 in the Grossman Commons building on the West Barnstable Campus.

The market will feature baked goods, handmade gifts and crafts by students from the program's retail and art entrepreneurship sector. Sales are cash only and go directly to Project Forward scholarships and programming. Project Forward is an award-winning educational program that provides vocational training for individuals with intellectual disabilities, according to the program's website.

Cape Cod Community College is located at 2240 Iyannough Road in West Barnstable.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Hyannis Main Street turns into a winter wonderland for the weekend